Ginzuishou Of Mare Serentatis
by Damion Starr
Summary: This time, it's someone elses turn to save the world with Lara's help (UPDATED)
1. Coming Twilight

Ginzuishou Of Mare Serentatis  
  
Ch. 1: Coming Twilight  
  
Author's Note: First "Tomb Raider", Bryce-heavy. I love him, he is so cool. Oh, the title. For those of you who aren't Moonies (Sailor Moon fans), Ginzuishou is Japanese for the Imperium Silver Crystal, and Mare Serentatis is French for "Sea Of Serenity". Anywho, onto the story!  
  
Disclaimer: Tomb Raider, not mine, Ginsuishou, not mine, Mare Serentatis, uh, not mine. Wow, I am so poor!  
  
***  
  
A light; blinding, beautiful, yet, somehow, terrifying.  
  
"Who shall be the key?"  
  
"Mum? Dad?!"  
  
"You,"  
  
***  
  
"Bryce?" The computer guru sat up with a gasp, sending some of the contents of his desk clattering to the floor. "Are you all right?" He looked up at his employer, Lara Croft. Her brow was furrowed in concern.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Bryce said quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly. Her expression became incredulous. He diverted his eyes. "Something you need?"  
  
"No-"  
  
"Excuse me," He fled from the station, then the mansion, escaping to the solitude of his trailer. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," He quietly cursed himself as he locked the door. He had been careless, falling asleep in the mansion. When he sleeps, he dreams. With the dreams comes sleep walking, talking, etc. That was why he avoided sleeping in the mansion; that was why he sometimes avoided sleeping altogether.  
  
***  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"This better be good,"  
  
"We found him,"  
  
Pause. "Excellent. Dispatch the team. Bring him to me,"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
***  
  
Bryce hit a key and loud music blasted from the large speakers. He headed for the tiny bathroom, shedding his dark green overshirt as he went and tossing it aside. He turned the water on, waited until it was almost unbearably cold, then splashed it on his face. "Come on, Bryce, snap out of it," He told his reflection when it appeared in the mirror. He looked terrible. Maybe it was time to consider a vacation. He'd certainly earned it. A sudden, brief spike of pain derailed his train of thought. He hissed and reflexively touched his chest, near the shoulder, where a crescent shaped scar was hidden. It had been bugging him the past few days, but that had been a dull throb. This had felt like someone stabbed him.  
  
***  
  
"Lara?"  
  
Lara turned away from the window. "Yes, Hilary?"  
  
"Is something wrong? You've been staring out the window all morning," The butler set the tray on the desk, but remained where he was.  
  
Lara turned back to the window and the trailer which had beeen the focus of her attention for hours. She was silent for a long time before she finally said: "Bryce has been acting strange."  
  
"Yes, well, it's rather hard to tell with him," No reaction. Hilary sombered. "I am concerned about him, as well," Lara merely nodded. As she stared out the window, a flash of lightning illuminated the grey sky, leading the way for a downpour. That still did not deter her attention.  
  
***  
  
Bryce was snapped awake by a splash of cold water. He shook the liquid out of his eyes and looked up at his tired reflection over the sink. His gasping breaths echoed in the small confines of the bathroom. "Can't go to sleep, not again," He muttered. He didn't want to see that again, that horrible event etched in the back of his eyelids ever since he was ten. He sighed and gently touched the throbbing wound near the ball and socket of his shoulder. "Go away, plea-" He cut off mid-sentence, then slowly looked over at the closed doorr of the bathroom. His breathing suddenly seemed impossibly loud. Dreamily, he slowly lifted his hand to the doorknob, then turned it. The door swung open, revealing a black clad figure...with a gun. Bryce opened his mouth to scream for help, for Lara, anything, but was silenced before he could even draw breath by a gunshot. His body went numb and cold at the same time. His descent to the floor seemed impossibly slow.  
  
"Sir? We got him,"  
  
"Lara..."  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: So, what do you think? Should I continue? Let the butt- kissing commence! 


	2. Invading Darkness

Ginzuishou Of Mare Serentatis  
  
Chapter 2: Invading Darkness  
  
Author's Note: Thanx for the feedback! Means a lot! Oh, and BTW, this takes place after "Cradle Of Life". It may have a few minor spoilers, I'm not sure yet.  
  
Disclaimer: Tomb Raider is still not mine.  
  
***  
  
"Lara..." The tomb raider sat up in bed with a gasp, her nightmare still fresh in her mind. Bryce, her Bryce, laying face-up in a dark pool of his own blood, staring blankly up at her. Lara buried her face in her hands, quietly whispering: "He's okay. You know he's okay," and trying to will the image away. It wouldn't go. "Fine," She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. "I'll go out there, and see that he's okay, then,"  
  
***  
  
The first thing Bryce noticed as he oozed into consciousness was the fact that he was waking up at all. 'Wasn't I shot?' The second was that his wrists were shackled above his head, and that was all that was holding him up. His legs were sprawled awkwardly in front of him. He drew them under himself and winced as his asleep appendages protested loudly. "Oh, shit," He moaned.  
  
"You're finally awake,"  
  
***  
  
Lara sunk to her knees; numb. The front door to the trailer banged hollowly against the side. The place had been ransacked, everything destroyed, but it was more than that: Bryce was gone. "No," She whispered, fighting tears. "No, no, nononono NO!" She jumped to her feet and ran outside into the pouring rain. "Bryce!?" She yelled into the three am darkness. "BRYCE!" She shrieked, finally losing the battle to her tears and dropping to her knees in the mud. A roll of thunder was the only answer.  
  
***  
  
Bryce's eyes snapped open. "You," He breathed. "What are you doing here?" A pool of light fell on only Bryce and a familiar figure from his past, leaving the rest of the room in darkness.  
  
"It's good to see you, kid. How ya been?"  
  
Bryce chuckled ruefully and shifted his raw wrists. "I've been better,"  
  
The tall, muscled-bound, American military man smiled. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that, but we couldn't risk you escaping," He stepped closer to Bryce. "You understand, right?"  
  
The tech frowned up at his captor. "I'd understand more if you told me what the hell you want,"  
  
The American, whose name alluded Bryce at the moment, stooped down until he and the much smaller man were eye-to-eye. "The crystal, that's what I want,"  
  
Confusion flitted across Bryce's features. "What crystal?" Suddenly, stars exploded before his eyes as his head smacked painfully into the wall.  
  
***  
  
Hillary closed the door behind the police officer and turned back to his young charge. Lara sat on the grand staircase, legs drawn up to her chest, head buried in her arms. Hillary was rooted to the floor for a moment, unsure of what to say, but he didn't have to say anything.  
  
"What if he's dying somewhere?" Lara's already low voice was dropped to nearly a whisper by her arms. When he didn't answer, she lifted her head. Tears streaked her cheeks.  
  
Hillary swallowed and slowly moved to Lara's side. "Why do you think that?" He asked as he sat on the stair.  
  
Lara diverted her gaze to the floor. "I...uh..." Her butler sat patiently beside her, silently urging her on. She sighed. "I had a dream last night. I saw Bryce, and he was...he..." She trailed off again, lackig the will to finish the sentence. Instead, she inhaled shakily. "We have to find him, Hilly. We have to bring him home safe,"  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. Damn penguins. Whatcha gonna do? 


	3. Permanent Midnight

Ginzuishou Of Mare Serentatis  
  
Chapter 3: Permanent Midnight  
  
Author's Note: Finally, chapter three. Sorry for the long wait. Had a bout of that cursed disease of writers, writer's block, but I'm all better now!  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.  
  
"Uh!" Bryce was rudely awakened when his shackles were undone, dropping him to the floor. "Oh, god," He groaned as his bruises flared to life. A heavy boot suddenly came down just inches from his nose.  
  
"Rise and shine, kid," Bryce slowly looked up at the foot's owner, the American who had gladly tattooed the tech into unconsciousness. "We're taking a little trip," He favored Bryce with a grin that froze the younger man's blood in his veins.  
  
Lara paced anxiously in the control center of the mansion, chewing her nails and glacing at the phone every second. Hillary watched her from the doorway, forgotten tray of tea in his hands. "Lara, I really wish you would stop that. You're wearing out the wax on the floor,"  
  
Lara dropped into a nearby chair; Bryce's chair, with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Hilly, I just-" A shrill ring pierced the air. Both froze, staring at the phone. It took another ring to jerk them out of their stupor. Lara grabbed the receiver. "Hello?...This is Lara, what've you got?" Lara and Hillary stared at each other while Lara listened. "He's where?"  
  
Bryce grunted as he was shoved into the sunlight. He stumbled and nearly fell, but was caught by one of the soldiers. He was being led to a helicoptor on the roof of a office building, which appeared to be located in London. His hands were handcuffed behind his back, making the prospect of falling over unpleasant. "Where are you taking me?" Bryce yelled to the American over the whir of the helicoptor blades. A grin was the only answer he received.  
  
"You'll see," American was just getting into the helicoptor when bullets peppered the side, just above their heads. Everyone dropped into a crouch, except Bryce, who fell over onto his side, causing old wounds to scream in protest.  
  
"Let him go!"  
  
The men looked up, and only Bryce smiled. "Lara!" Lara Croft stood by the stairwell, guns drawn and in both hands.  
  
"I said let him go!" Lara yelled again.  
  
American grinned. "No!" He yelled back. Bryce's smile fell.  
  
"Lara, look out!" The tech screamed.  
  
The tomb raider whirled around just as another soldier was coming at her from the stairs. She did a roundhouse kick, knocking first the gun from his hands, then him down the stairs. When she turned back around, American had an arm around Bryce's neck, and a gun to his temple. She froze.  
  
"Drop your guns!" Lara complied, glaring the man down. Soldiers moved in around her, weapons trained on the woman, and led her toward the helicoptor. "Looks like you're coming with," American brought the butt of his gun down on the back of Bryce's head, knocking the younger man out cold.  
  
"Bry-" Lara was cut off by a dull thud inside her head, a brief spike of pain, then darkness.  
  
"-is it!"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
Lara awoke to the sound of Bryce and the American fighting. Her eyes fluttered open. She was laying on a stone floor with her hands bound behind her back. Bryce lay a few feet away, on his back and hands, the American standing over him with a hand around his throat; choking him.  
  
"Bryce!" The tech lacked the ability to look at her, but his tormentor didn't. Lara struggled to sit up. "Let him go!"  
  
"Not until he gives me what I want," The man hissed, turning his attention back to the wheezing man in his grip.  
  
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Bryce gasped.  
  
"The crystal! I want the crystal!"  
  
"What crystal?"  
  
The American, frustrated, released Bryce, whipped out his gun, and trained it on Lara. "Tell me where it is or I blow her away,"  
  
Bryce's eyes widened. "Don't,"  
  
"Bryce..."  
  
"Look, I...I..." The American was now standing over the tomb raider. "Jack, stop it, I don't know anything about a crystal! My parents found nothing here," Bryce blurted out. Lara's gaze moved from the American, Jack, to Bryce.  
  
"Your parents?" She asked. Jack slowly looked back at the tech.  
  
"You never told her?" He said with a sadistic grin.  
  
"Please, don't tell her," Bryce quietly begged.  
  
"Tell me what?" Lara interjected, looking from the tech to the soldier and back again.  
  
"That your little computer geek here was orphaned in this very room," Bryce winced as if struck. "My squad and I rescued him from here when he was nine, but his parents had disappeared without a trace," Lara looked over at Bryce, her expression a mixture of shock and pity. The tech looked away.  
  
"You never told me," Lara whispered softly.  
  
"Well, you never asked!" Bryce snapped, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "You never asked," He repeated, softer this time.  
  
Jack looked back and forth between the two friends. "Okay, that was fun. Now," He stood over Lara, handgun against her temple. "Where's the crystal, Bryce?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" The tech screamed desperately.  
  
"I think you do, Bryce," Jack spat his name. "The Ginzuishou of Mare Serentatis. The "Silver Crystal of The Sea Of Serenity". One of the most powerful crystals in legend. Has the power to destroy the galaxy, where is it?!" The soldier was beginning to lose his temper.  
  
"Look, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, so just let Lara go and you can shoot me for all I care," Bryce was beginning to lose his patience as well.  
  
"Yes, you do!"  
  
No, I don't, goddamnit!" Bryce screamed, desperate, angry and in pain.  
  
"Fine," Jack cocked the gun.  
  
"NO!"  
  
A blinding light filled the room, illuminating the other soldiers who had been hiding in the shadows of the cavern. When the light finally died away, Bryce was left standing where he had been bound moments before, with a flower-like crystal in his hands, which still held a small glow.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
Author's Note: Heh heh, cliffie. Oh, gawd, I'm gonna get my ass chewed off for this. Well, two chapters left. I promise that I won't make you wait so long next time. Sorry bout that. Please forgive me! (drops to knees and starts shaloming) 


End file.
